


Cat on the Base

by inevitablyinquisitive



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-19 16:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7368703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inevitablyinquisitive/pseuds/inevitablyinquisitive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt (somethingmarvelous): There's an old SSR clause in the Playground’s base operations manual that allows housing for one cat for ratting purposes. The cat takes a liking to Jemma and Fitz is upset that she gets a cat and he still can't have a monkey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cat on the Base

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adaughterofeve](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adaughterofeve/gifts).



> for [adaughterofeve](http://adaughterofeve.tumblr.com) and [somethingmarvelous](http://somethingmarvelous.tumblr.com)

“Daisy, Mack, May, FitzSimmons - I'd like you all to meet the newest member of the team,” Coulson announced, pulling out a pet carrying case from under his desk. 

“Oh my god Jemma, it's a monkey!” Fitz whispered, squeezing his new girlfriend’s hand (they had “come out” to the team after coming back from the Seychelles).

“No Fitz, she’s not a monkey. Her name is Bella, and she is the new -” he was cut off by squeals of delight as he pulled the blanket from the cage, revealing the tiny tabby kitten inside.

“Guys, guys, calm down -”

“Sir, how are we not allowed a helper monkey, yet you've just brought a kitten onto the base?” Fitz protested. 

“Jemma pointed out that there's an old SSR clause that allows for one cat to be on the base of the Playground for ratting purposes -”

“Ratting?! We don't even have rats though-” 

“We won't with the help of Bella,” Jemma smiled smugly. 

Coulson looked helplessly at May, who simply shrugged and left the room with a knowing look. “Right everyone, let's get something straight - Bella belongs to the base, not any individual member -”

“Jemma”

“- and she will be living in my office until she's old enough to roam freely -”

“No fair, she could stay in my bunk,” interrupted Daisy. 

“- and cleaning up after her is everyone’s responsibility.” He finished, opening the door of the cage. “Now, give her some space, she's only little after all.”

After a few minutes without any movement, Jemma gently reached a hand into the crate and coaxed the kitten out with a piece of chicken, stroking its brown and black head adoringly. “Aren't you beautiful?” She murmured. 

“Hey Jemma, I think someone's getting jealous over here!” Daisy teased in a sing-song voice.

“Coulson, Sir, Daisy’s er t-t-, uh, making fun of us again!” Fitz shouted, turning to see that he'd already left the room. “Oh.”

“Don't shout, you're scaring her Fitz!” Jemma whispered protectively while the kitten rubbed its head against her hand. “Shush you two, come and say hi to her.”

“Ow!” He exclaimed a minute later, jerking his hand away from the kitten.

“Ugh, Fitz! You scared her! Come on Bella, shh it's okay,”

“She scratched me!”

“I'm sure she didn't mean to Leo, she's still a baby after all,” Jemma retorted defensively. “See, Daisy’s getting on with her! Just because you couldn't get a monkey -”

“Yeah well monkeys are actually useful, when have you ever seen a rat on the base?”

Jemma rolled her eyes. “That's the entire point of her job! Stop being such a child about it, we got a cat instead of a monkey, so what?” 

Fitz pouted and turned to leave.  
“Whoa Jemma, that was intense…” Daisy looked up after pretending not to be in the room. 

“Yeah, I'd better go after him,” Jemma sighed. “He was just scaring the kitten and being childish and I couldn't stand it -”

“I don't think it was really about the kitten, Simmons,” 

“You're right. I'll go talk to him.”

 

Jemma found Fitz sulking, five minutes later, in a darkened corner of their lab. She placed a hand on his shoulder gently, squeezing and massaging the tension from his muscles. After a few seconds he relented, reaching up and placing his warm hand over hers.

“Fitz, I'm sorry for snapping,” she whispered hesitantly, unsure of what she could do to make things better. 

“I'm sorry for being childish Jem,” he began. “It's - it's - nevermind.”

“What's the matter?” She thought back to his appointments with Dr Garner after his accident. “Your feelings matter to me, you know that right? Don't just dismiss them,”

“Just - just seeing you so in love with her, that stupid k-k-, cat,”

“Oh, Fitz! You're not jealous of her are you?”

“No, I-I-, maybe a little.” He admitted, turning away as tears pricked in his eyes. 

She sighed and pulled him close to her, squeezing him and kissing his cheek. “I love you Fitz, everything else is secondary.” She murmured against his ear. “Don't you dare forget that. I'm with you and I love you, you're my best friend in the world -” she swallowed the lump forming in her throat, “and I wouldn't give that up for anything, for a kitten, my job, for the whole damn cosmos.”

He squeezed her hand, “love you too Jem.” He smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> this was written in about an hour without any proofreading, so sorry for any mistakes! :/  
> you can also find me on the tumblrs ([inevitably-inquisitive](http://inevitably-inquisitive.tumblr.com))


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